The last rat was killed by two arrow energy as he was about to escape their encirclement, one at the back of his head and another at his neck letting two holes as the arrow energy lasted for ten seconds before disappearing.

" Good shot your aim is getting sharper, and thank you for your help just before "

Said Sarah next to her as she looked at Chris lying on the corpse of rats covered in blood and Lisa that was also in the same state but leaning of her snake body.

Skriiiiii!!!

But suddenly two shadows of rats came out of a pile of rats, heading toward Lisa and Emily, the two of them were at one or two meters of any group and the rats crossed the distance in one breath their eyes completely red like jewels with the sunlight on them.

Even if the fight didn't last long, she has used almost all her energy and the fact that she had from time to time faced head-on some of the rats that we're able to pass Edward and the others, her physique being stronger than that of an adult man in good shape, she wasn't able to keep with the speed at which the rat moved barely able to follow their movements.

But Emily's calmly created an energy arrow and launched it at one rat before repeating the movement once again and wounded the rats' legs, she dashed at them not fearing them at all her head thinking of her next move to end the fight quickly, dodging with small steps their attack.

She stopped moving for a second waiting for the rats to attacks her and indeed the rats seeing the opportunity leaped at the same time at her, but this time she was prepared and know from where they attacked finished one of them oner slashing at his stomach finishing him gracefully as she stepped to the sides the last one.

Wich only got his head blown up by the tip of ice cone of Lisa that came at him just after he turned ready to attack Emily once again.

" Guys are you serious you can't even check if they are really dead "

Emilly seeing the last rat killed burst in fury, she might have reacted in time but she still had a cold sweat on her back, she was able to finish one rat since her agility was close to the rats if not higher but she could only dealt one rat and if it wasn't for Sarah that understood what she intended to do when she stopped moving to face her back at her she might have died.

John and Edward were already there when the fight end sighed deeply they weren't angered that she shouted at them since it was really their fault this time and that they should always be a close fighter next to them at all times, it was what they planned every time they went out hunting the last few days.

" Yeah sorry but look we were just a few seconds behind them when we noticed them and as long you were able to block them or escape their attack for one or two seconds we would be able to reach them and finish them in one second"

- " But what if..... "

- " Emily it's ok were fine and besides you handled well the situation "

She got stopped when Sarah hugged her from behind tapping her back to relax her, but she still gave a warning glare to the two guys before closing her eyes.

Her mind was on the verge of breaking down mentally she didn't know if her family was alive but after looking at the devasted city center and the human corpses in the buildings and streets she had little hope to find them alive and now that those two made this kind of mistake she had found a way to vent her frustration on someone else.

turning her face and hugging Sarah she started to cry softly not wanting someone else to see her crying.

Sarah seeing her state waved her hand at Edward and John telling them to leave, nodding they understood that the little girl needed space, and went back this time piercing the head of each rat making sure they were dead.

No more counting only on the rappel of the system when they killed a beast, serving them as a warning that as long they didn't themself witnessed the death of beasts they shouldn't let their guard down.

Chris that was lying on the dead bodies of the rats letting his body heal itself sensed people approaching with energy perception from the buildings further toward where he felt most of the dangerous beasts' aura became wary.

knowing that if they were able to go through this many beasts without alarming any beasts they weren't weak and with their current state if they fought they wouldn't be able to win and it would be a tough fight.

I tried to get up only to feel my legs shaking before falling once again, my legs were like if it went through a Bucher with huge gashes on his thigh and tendon, and even though they weren't seriously injured he could feel that he needed five minutes at least to be able to let his energy and bloodline circulate since most of his energy was already focused on healing the most serious wound of his arms and stomach that showed his flesh but his abdominals were playing this times a huge help since it blocked most of the attack.

" Sky come here I need your help "

wooof!!

Sky who was trying to take out an energy core of a rat before his master and his companion forbid him to, turned his head then looked back at the rat body in front of him dug his head in the rat open stomach, and withdraw with an energy core that he quickly swallowed, going to his master looking the body part of the rats that had their stomach open all around the place toward were his master was lying as he kept thinking how he could snatch them.

And Chris seeing his behavior wanted to curse at him knowing well what he was thinking through their link, but sighed shaking his head it wasn't time to argue.

" George, Lester, and Clement gather the other we have some company" , I said as I stood up with Sky's help leaning on him to stay standing, my legs were still aching but at least my stomach wounds stopped to bleed blood coagulated letting the wound close slowly.

Lisa who wasn't far from him stood up and walked at him her snake opening his eyes his vertical pupil looking in the same direction where Chris just a few moments noticed the group coming at them as he let out his tong sensing the surroundings making sure he just felt a prey coming at him but stopped when he remembered that he wasn't in a state to fight or even hunt and that he had to satisfy his hunger with one rat corpse.

" Is it another group of beasts ", she said as she stood next to him her body was full of gashes but they were less serious than Chris thank to her snake help that blocked most of the rats with his scales and body and being at the same level that the rat and with the superiority of his nature he was able to hold his ground, she was more worried that with his state Chris would be barely able to fight and protect himself properly.

The others quickly gathered around Chris, Edward, Lester, and George came in front with their group their shield up ready to block any beast's charge.

this time he was left behind with Sarah and Emily behind as he kept thinking that his bloodline affected too much his mindset and although he learned more about his sword technique and the control of his body he still paid the price, his bloodline in a way was a double-edged sword in the sense that it required to be constantly in this fighting spirit to grow stronger making him understand how to ripost and at the same time minimize the risk of getting hurt as it seemed that his bloodline on his own had already information how to fight and that he only had to go through numerous fight and battle to gain both in strength and upgrade his bloodline.

So far he couldn't see the difference but with his high sense, he gained since he got his bloodline and his eyes that could since different energy he focused more on the surrounding energy and noticed that when he fights, small balls of red energy was going toward his head and at the same time he unconsciously changed the way he fought as his muscle memories seemed to receive information from his bloodline whiteout him noticing but this time since he had better control he felt all the processes and was excited.

" Don't worry Lisa I will heal him it isn't something like broken bones so it isn't hard to heal ", Sarah said as she started to heal his legs after seeing Lisa worried face her red raid and body covered in blood accentuating her beauty but no one had the time to enjoy the sigh and focused on taking out quickly the core of the beasts that Chris opened the stomach when fighting before regrouping.

her hand working as a vortex absorbed the surrounding white energy before mixing it with the blue energy that her skill gave her the control over before entering it in Chris wounds accelerating his cells recovery at high speed and with Chris own regeneration ability after thirty seconds the wound was starting to close itself and in less than two minute his legs were like anew.

Emily that looked at the process to the side was speechless, it was the first time that she saw Sarah's healing skill working so fast, but Lisa on the side seemed not so surprised since he already had told her what he went through after he escaped the cleaymors and what happened to his bloodline during their small talk in the clothing store and in their way to the hotel.

" Did you gain more control over this strange energy ", Emily asked wanting to know since both her skill and Sarah used a different type of energy than the one they get from the beasts they killed they couldn't see it but they could feel the difference when it entered their body.

- " no it seems like Chris's own body only uses the energy that I used to heal him to amplify the healing of his wounds ", she said her face showing her disbelieve too but didn't stop her concentration from absorbing the blue energy.

it's then that he remembered that there was Sarah to heal him and he almost wanted to hug her, his self-regeneration was a strong ability but since it required an enormous quantity of energy depending on the wounds, and that even if his body could absorb the surrounding energy and use his own energy to heal faster it still required a lot of concentration if he wanted to absorb more energy but it wasn't something he could do during a fight limiting it only when he was in a safe place and only able to stop the bleeding of his wounds when fighting.

................................................................................................

Further away from the group about to street three men were walking among the destroyed building trying to stay in the shadow of the buildings still intact.

" Hey Jason are you sure we shouldn't go back now we went too deep in the city and who knows what is waiting for us, the captain said we just have to check the path the horde take and come back and our wounds bleeding will attack more beasts if we don't treat them soon "

A man in his mid-thirty wearing ragged clothes showing his fit body and lean muscles with short dark hair said with anger in his tone, sweating profusely as he kept looking for any sign of beasts, his body covered with gashes keeping bleeding making him clench his teeth to endure the pain panting heavily.

- " yeah I know Carl what he said, but do you think even if we go back we will be able to escape all those groups of beasts intact once again, we already lost Matheo and Andrea and if it wasn't because they promised us a good status in the next safe zone they will build I would have never accepted this stupid mission "

The man called Jason, a tall man that looked to be the same age as Carl and in the same state as he said, thinking of the two-member of his groups he just lost to enter this district, but he shakes his head as he waved his hand at the taciturn Kreg that was just listening to their conversation with the same face since they met in the military camp a few days ago.

The three-man after their small break to catch their breath once again advanced among the desolate buildings and street but stopped after crossing three streets and meeting with a group of men and women covered in blood with ragged clothes that were next to two evolved beasts but seemed not afraid of them.

Carl and Kreg looked at Jason waiting for his order, the last few days together it was him who acted as the leader of their group so they unconsciously relayed on him.

Jason seeing them looking at him advanced at the man that looked like a mini giant with his rectangular shield that almost hid his head, he quickly took a glance at the people of this group and stopped only after two-step when he saw the pile of corpses of rats behind them and that the snake that had the eyes closed suddenly looked at him making him shudder as his instinct was telling him to flee as fast he could.

But he regained his calm when Carl and Kreg came to his right and left supporting him as they felt too that the atmosphere was too tense.

" Hi I'm Jason and the two beside me are Carl and Kreg we don't want trouble we were sent by the government to check this area " Jason trying to reassure them and also to boost his confidence presented himself adding that he was working for the military thinking that like that at least if they were like some of the bandits they met in their path they will think twice before attacking them knowing that the military is behind them.

" I don't care who you are, just tell us why you are here for, it's been a long time since we met people able to walk brazenly in the city," Edward said, his mood wasn't good after being scolded by Emily and seeing this guy trembling as he tried to introduce himself irritated him.

Jason quickly calmed down seeing that the man wasn't going to rob them their food, he quickly explained why he was here explaining that the military camp at the border of the city got attacked by a horde of beasts and that few people survived and that the camp was impossible to stay any more so they decided to come back in the city.

But before that, they sent several groups of military and volunteers to go check the path first and report if they found a safe area since by now anywhere in the city would be full of beasts, and with the civils that they had to protect it's impossible to fight properly.

everyone listened to their conversation and besides some people of the group of Lester, the rest seemed not that excited even after learning the military survived and instead went back to take the rest of the energy core.

Jason seeing their lack of reaction didn't know how to act and he was still taking as much distance he could from the snake that was sleeping curling on himself bathing in the sun scorching heat with the girl with red hair lying on his body as if it was normal, he was stunned both by her calm expression and beautiful body giving off a dangerous aura but at the same time an attracting vibe making his body react on his own.

but after saying that the brown man that looked as tall as the man with the shield he just talks with a muscled body and chiseled face was looking at him as he kept looking at the girl he felt chill bone and quickly stopped looking at her and instead focused on what the other was doing.

and he was surprised that no one of them was wounded apart from some scars he could see on their exposed bodies part, none of them were wounded despite the number of beasts they just fought and that they are covered in blood.

" we will leave now, so what are you planning to do, you will come back and tell them that you found a safe place here, we will leave now so see you later "

Edward asked as he came to the man.

" huum can you help us, don't worry we just you to distract some beasts not fight them just so that we can escape without fighting since we are too wounded to fight even the low-level beasts and come out intact ", Jason asked a little awkward to ask them to risk their life even if it was just to distract the beasts to let them the path free.

Edward hearing that turned his head at John next to him and seeing the man not seeing no he just waved his hand at Chris making sure he was ok, but after seeing him raise his thumb he was surprised that he could hear them even if they were about five to six meter away from them.

******************************************************************

" Chris why don't you want me to heal them, If I heal them we won't have to risk our lives to attract some beasts "

Sarah asked to Chris since when she wanted to go heal the two guys he refused she was angry at first seeing that he refused to heal people in need but she calmed down when he explained to her something about keeping a low profile and not show their cards, she wasn't at all convinced but since he accepted to help them she didn't ask more so far his decision wasn't wrong so she was ok with it.

Chris on the other hand was thinking about what to do if the military decided to come in this district if it's the only one district devoid of strong beasts, and thought that after helping the three guys they could go and harvest as many supplies in the drugstores, and the food stores that could last them at least a week, it wasn't like, if because of their body upgrade they couldn't get sick and with the military coming he preferred having his own food rather than having to count on them.

and if they were really short in foods they could always eat the meat of some of the wild beasts like the boars, bears, wolf those beasts should be edible normally.

Emily next to them looked at them as they talked each, she was also in her own thoughts, thinking about how to get better in close-range fights and also how to make studier arrows with her control of energy.

The group finished to take the remaining energies core and started to advance in direction of the city center high road.